Chicken being grilled on charcoal. smell of smoke, and dark atmosphere; this is what to expect at the best yakitori places in Kyoto!

When you come to Japan, you probably also want to try an izakaya, the Japanese version of a bar, that is actually more of a mix between a bar and a restaurant. There are many types of izakaya, so you have a lot to choose from. This time I’m going to let you in a secret; the five places below are some of the best izakaya in Kyoto specializing in smoky, delicious, yakitori chicken skewers. They have every part of chicken imaginable skewered for you, and once you start eating the skewers, it’s hard to stop. You can also enjoy seasonal vegetable-skewers, so there’s a healthy part to drinking out too. So, order a cup of sake, and come with me and enjoy delicious chicken skewers in Kyoto! There are many great izakaya in Kyoto, but below you can find the best ones specializing in yakitori!

Torito

Torito is close to Nishiki Market, and they use charcoal to seal in the flavors. Besides the normal tare sauce and salt, you can also choose to season your yakitori with ponzu or tartar sauce. These choices make the yakitori-experience even more fun!

At Tsujiya you can enjoy a brand of free-range chicken from Kyoto called Nanatani Jidori, and because they have grown up eating fresh local feed, the taste and texture are better than usual. Their vegetables mainly come from the area of Kamigamo in Kyoto, so you can enjoy the fresh, local taste of them. The most special thing about this place is that they also offer sukiyaki, a type of hotpot where usually beef is simmered in soy sauce, sugar, and mirin, only in this case the meat is of course chicken.

Kushikura Honten has a special tare sauce that is made according to their secret recipe, which adds to the sweetness and deliciousness of the chicken grilled on charcoal, making the chicken skewers a soft and juicy delicacy no one can resist. The skewers may look simple, but there the art of grilling them requires craftsmanship, and the taste of them is just full of flavor.

Torisee is a yakitori place that uses a special type of chicken from Miyazaki Prefecture to make their skewers, which are then grilled in a special type of grill that grills them at the same time on both sides, making them juicy and full of the taste of chicken. They have many kinds of chicken dishes here, but the tastiest one has to be their yakitori skewers, which I recommend you order with tare sauce and also have a cup of the local sake, Shinsei, to wash them down!

Chabuya is located on one of the alleys of Kyoto, and what makes their yakitori so delicious is that they’re dipped in their special tare sauce which contains natural salt. But the most delicious thing here is their specialty: tsukune, a skewer of ground chicken served with an egg yolk to dip it into. Because this place uses only the freshest ingredients, and the skill of their chefs is unmatched, there are almost never any free seats here, so remember to make a reservation!

No matter whether it’s hot or cold outside, yakitori is a nightly snack that few people in Japan can go without. The chicken skewers are slowly grilled on top of a charcoal fire and then dipped into the secret tare sauce of that restaurant, from which they get their addictively salty taste. There is a delicateness to yakitori in Kyoto, a kind of craftsmanship you won’t find elsewhere. I recommend also ordering a cup of sake with your chicken!